Names to explore
Old Testament standouts
Established biblical names with a substantial, traditional sound.
Abner
Abner is an established biblical name that sits well outside today’s most-used boy names.
2025 U.S.: 274 births · #874Peak: 2024 · 293 births
Asa
Asa has an old, recognizable biblical foundation with enough distance from the mainstream to feel distinctive.
2025 U.S.: 622 births · #483Peak: 2022 · 685 births
Boaz
Boaz brings a substantial historical sound without needing a modernized spelling.
2025 U.S.: 268 births · #891Peak: 2025 · 268 births
Ephraim
Ephraim is familiar from scripture yet uncommon enough in current U.S. data to stand apart.
2025 U.S.: 231 births · #988Peak: 2017 · 260 births
Gideon
Gideon is an established biblical name that sits well outside today’s most-used boy names.
2025 U.S.: 993 births · #337Peak: 2017 · 1,161 births
Hezekiah
Hezekiah has an old, recognizable biblical foundation with enough distance from the mainstream to feel distinctive.
2025 U.S.: 621 births · #485Peak: 2024 · 631 births
Hosea
Hosea brings a substantial historical sound without needing a modernized spelling.
2025 U.S.: 67 births · #2,154Peak: 1925 · 74 births
Familiar but uncommon
Names many people recognize even though relatively few boys receive them today.
Jethro
Jethro is familiar from scripture yet uncommon enough in current U.S. data to stand apart.
2025 U.S.: 245 births · #953Peak: 2025 · 245 births
Joab
Joab is an established biblical name that sits well outside today’s most-used boy names.
2025 U.S.: 60 births · #2,319Peak: 2025 · 60 births
Obadiah
Obadiah has an old, recognizable biblical foundation with enough distance from the mainstream to feel distinctive.
2025 U.S.: 104 births · #1,630Peak: 2024 · 131 births
Phineas
Phineas brings a substantial historical sound without needing a modernized spelling.
2025 U.S.: 105 births · #1,616Peak: 2016 · 142 births
Thaddeus
Thaddeus is familiar from scripture yet uncommon enough in current U.S. data to stand apart.
2025 U.S.: 314 births · #798Peak: 2016 · 416 births
Zebulon
Zebulon is an established biblical name that sits well outside today’s most-used boy names.
2025 U.S.: 20 births · #5,042Peak: 1979 · 125 births
Amos
Amos has an old, recognizable biblical foundation with enough distance from the mainstream to feel distinctive.
2025 U.S.: 364 births · #730Peak: 1922 · 558 births
Deep-cut biblical choices
Names with especially low current use for families who want something clearly outside the mainstream.
Enoch
Enoch brings a substantial historical sound without needing a modernized spelling.
2025 U.S.: 348 births · #746Peak: 2023 · 376 births
Jedidiah
Jedidiah is familiar from scripture yet uncommon enough in current U.S. data to stand apart.
2025 U.S.: 274 births · #876Peak: 2017 · 362 births
Micaiah
Micaiah is an established biblical personal name that remains uncommon in current U.S. use.
2025 U.S.: 133 births · #1,386Peak: 2014 · 139 births
Nehemiah
Nehemiah has an old, recognizable biblical foundation with enough distance from the mainstream to feel distinctive.
2025 U.S.: 743 births · #429Peak: 2010 · 933 births
Reuben
Reuben brings a substantial historical sound without needing a modernized spelling.
2025 U.S.: 269 births · #889Peak: 1920 · 465 births
The data line uses the exact spelling shown. “No published 2025 count” can mean the spelling had zero births or fewer than five, because SSA does not publish counts below five.
Biblical does not automatically mean traditional-sounding
Some scripture names feel very familiar while others sound unusual to modern ears. The source may be ancient even when the style feels fresh.
Popularity varies enormously inside this category
A few biblical names dominate current rankings. This page intentionally avoids the biggest chart leaders and concentrates on less-used choices.
Check the story as well as the sound
If religious or family meaning matters to you, read the biblical context of a name rather than choosing from sound alone.
Roscoe's pick
Boaz
Boaz is short, historic and unmistakably biblical, yet its current U.S. use remains modest.
More names to explore
Questions parents ask
Are all of these names rare in the United States?
They are selected for uncommon U.S. use or for a distinctive heritage style. Each card shows the exact-spelling 2025 U.S. count when Social Security published one, so you can see the current context for yourself.
Does a missing 2025 count mean the name was unused?
No. The national public file does not publish a spelling when fewer than five boys received it that year, so a missing count can mean zero or one to four births.
Can the same name belong to more than one naming tradition?
Yes. Names travel between languages and cultures, and spellings can have more than one history. These guides group names by the tradition most relevant to the page rather than claiming every name has only one possible background.
Should U.S. popularity decide which name I choose?
No. The numbers are context. Family connection, pronunciation, cultural fit and how the name sounds with your surname usually matter more.